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Amazon.co.uk Review
By getting nominated for Academy Awards in both the Foreign Language Film and Best Song categories, Les Choristes (The Chorus) made a rare (for a European film) double impression at the 2004 Oscars. This sentimental tale follows the arrival of a new teacher at a remote boys school in 1949 France (the war is a largely unspoken but ghostly presence). With disciplinary problems rampant, and the policies of the old-fashioned headmaster not helping, Monsieur Mathieu decides to introduce choral singing as a way to bridge the gap with his students. You don't need a crystal ball to figure out where this will go, although the movie uses its atmospheric location and lush vocal arrangements well. Bald, dumpy Gerard Jugnot provides a refreshingly offbeat hero: he's sort of a younger Philippe Noiret. Director Christophe Barratier works in the winsome-cute mode that makes a certain kind of French movie into an overly sweet bon bon, although at least this bon bon sings. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
80 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful,
By
This review is from: The Chorus [DVD] (DVD)
This is a wonderful film. Its moving, slightly sad, and heart-warming. I watched it first at school with my GCSE standards French, in French, with French subtitles. Although I didn't understand all the details, I still enjoyed it immensely, and however you watch it, it is amazing. I had the song "Les Choristes" in my head for days.
The film begins in the future, and then is mostly a flashback. A new teacher arrives at Fond D'Etang, a school for difficult boys, to teach music, and immediately discovers the harsh discipline and the bad behaviour which forced the man he is replacing to retire. His unusual methods soon warm the boys to him, and he achieves a lot. There is some wonderful music, especially the soloist, Pierre. Pepinot, a very young boy, is adorable, and he partly gives the film its touching ending. Whatever standard your French is, even if you watch it in English; whether you like this sort of music or not, you cannot fail to love this film. It's hard for me to put my finger on what exactly makes it appeal so much to me, but the characters are probably its best feature. They are well developed, lovable (or hatable, in the headmaster's case) and they make the film stick in your mind. Make sure you give this a try!
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful!,
By Rosanne (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Chorus [DVD] (DVD)
Beautiful film. The cinematography, script and characterizations are just perfect, and the plot moves along nicely. A good, harmless film.
Don't be put off by the subtitles, the characters and plot make you forget you have to read them, even if French is not your first language. I loved every moment of this, and watched it twice two days running. Gorgeous.
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really rather wonderful,
By
This review is from: The Chorus [DVD] (DVD)
It's easy enough to dismiss this French tale of a failed schoolteacher reforming both the pupils and staff of a boarding school for difficult boys by starting a choir as Monsieur Holland's Opus, Au Revoir Monsieur Pommes Frittes or even Societe des Poets Mort (although it is a remake of a 1945 film La Cage aux Rossingols that predates most of them), but it's done so well that it's impossible not to be won over by it. Sentimental? Sure, but its honest sentiment that doesn't overdose on artificial sweeteners. Gerard Jugnot beautifully underplays the lead, although all the cast are impressive, but the real star of the film is Bruno Coulais and Christophe Barratier's music, avoiding the dirges for some genuinely beautiful and affecting pieces that give the film wings. It's probably the kind of film its easy for some to dislike sight unseen as typical 'export cinema' (not only does it share its framing-device structure with Cinema Paradiso, but actor-producer Jacques Perrin even plays the role of the conductor returning to his hometown for a funeral!), but it's all done so very well that it's nigh-on impossible not to be won over.
The DVD offers a good 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, trailer and a good 72-minute documentary. Highly recommended.
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